Share the adventures of our little family as we explore our back yard, our home town, our beautiful country and our amazing world.

Alaska: Waving from Such Great Heights

We are in Alaska! This is an easy trip and one we take annually if not twice a year. It’s super inexpensive as we enjoy free room and board here as well as free entertainment, outdoor recreation and concierge salmon fishing. What a deal, right? Did I mention this is where Nana and Papa live? To Little, it’s heaven on earth.

For this trip, I am working remotely and thus we aren’t doing much exploring beyond the local area in Butte, Alaska. Butte is located in the Matanuska Valley. The Matanuska Valley was settled by pioneers in 1935 as a part of “The New Deal” and over 200 families were relocated here from Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota, specifically chosen for their proved ability to farm in tough, cold climates. It’s no wonder that my own parents from the Northwoods found themselves here.

A few highlights:

Hiking! Little summited his first peak! His uncle Kurtis and friend Maggie took him up the trail in what ended up a torrential downpour. But he made it to the top! The trail is a relatively tough little hike, just over three miles but with lots of elevation gain. The trick to it is hiking up the right side that is maintained and has stairs for the step sections. http://aktrailhead.com/bodenburg/bodenburg.shtml

Fishing! Little loves to fish. This summer he has caught cutthroat trout, perch, small mouth bass and bluegill. Of course he was excited to fish in Alaska with his papa! It’s good to know the salmon runs. We had hoped to catch a few silver (coho) salmon but the run just had not quite come into the creek we usually fish at. If we could stay a few extra days odds would have been much better. It was still a great opportunity to hang out with the family in one of the most beautiful locations in the world.

Gardening! The valley is known for being Alaska’s farming region. My own parents have a wonderful garden and greenhouse on their property. They grow squash, peas, beans, potatoes, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, onions, pumpkins, raspberries, currants, herbs and so much more. It’s a lot of work – my mom is processing as I type. She’s shredding and freezing veggies and canning fruit jams. It’s a great time of year to be here as little can spend hours outside helping her. We have just a couple days left and a few more great spots to hit so I will update more tomorrow.